By: Ciera Mendoza, Sierra Moya, Christopher Blea, and Gabriela Padilla.

Australian and Polynesian Myth: The Hero’s Journey

The Aborigines of Australia are considered one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world. They have various creation stories that exist among the Aboriginal groups. The “Dreamtime stories are set in a place where everyone exists forever. To the Aboriginals, the land of “Dreaming” started when spirits formed creation. They believed that a group of heroes (gods) traveled across a land without form and created sacred sites and other significant places, along with providing language.

Australia

Scholars believe that humans first migrated to Polynesia from Asia around 2,000 years ago. They brought their mythological traditions about deities, events, and heroes. As time went on they migrated to different islands, they changed their mythological and religious beliefs to suite their environments. They added new events and deities to their traditions. Polynesian religion placed great emphasis on nature, mostly on the ocean. They became masters of navigation and other seafaring skills. Polynesians believed that all natural things possesses supernatural powers called Mana, which could be good or evil.

Polynesia

Australia Yara-Ma-Yha-Who: A small,

nasty vampire. He is a red man with an enormous head and octopus suction cups for fingers and has no teeth. He is 100% evil.

Rainbow-Snake: The creator serpent who is in charge of fertility, growth, and refreshing rain. The god has a Kangaroo’s head, a crocodile’s tail, and a python’s body.

Rangi- Father Sky. Associated with creation

Papa: Mother Earth. Associated with creation.

Both deities are considered the source of all creation and everything exists because of them.

Major God’s and Goddesses

Polynesia

Australian Hero: Wandjina

Wandjina is regarded as one of the greatest gods of all Australian mythology.

He descended during DREAMTIME and created Earth, mankind, and everything known to mankind.

With the counsel of Eingana, he spends time with the people during Dreamtime, teaching them all they know. However, he was so powerful, he did not have a mouth because he had no need to speak.

He implemented many teachings within the culture and will always be remembered even in his silence.

Wandjina’s Journey

Polynesian God: Maui

Maui is credited with making the days longer, creating the Pacific Islands, discovering fire, and seeking immortality for mankind.

He beats the sun until it agrees to go slower so that the days are long enough that the humans can finish their work.

He hauls land from the ocean floor and created the islands. His canoe became the South Island.

Maui’s Journey

Maui wants to discover how to make fire. He sets out to find the goddess of fire, but he angers her. He barely lives through this expedition, however he sets fire to earth and his ancestors aid by putting it out with rain.

It is in the quest for immortality that Maui loses his life. He sets out to trick the goddess of death to save his people, but she a awakens and kills him.

The legends of Maui offer explanations as to why the lives of the Polynesian people were the way they were.

https://www.google.com/search?q=maui+trickster+hero&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS510US548&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoA2oVChMIpY6UpN2WyQIVRcljCh0Kxgnq&biw=1600&bih=766#imgdii=fh8kI2CjTPh3ZM%3A%3Bfh8kI2CjTPh3ZM%3A%3Ba_PwkhxVXhLYJM%3A&imgrc=fh8kI2CjTPh3ZM%3A

\http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Pa-Pr/Polynesian-Mythology.html

http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Le-Me/Maui.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81ui_(M%C4%81ori_mythology)

https://www.google.com/search?q=wandjina+god&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS510US548&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=809&tbm=isch&imgil=y2h70-RlXzcK6M%253A%253BIZ6IJmigQBeADM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.aboriginalarts.co.uk%25252Fother_art%25252Fwandjina%25252Fwandjina.htm&source=iu&pf=m&fir=y2h70-RlXzcK6M%253A%252CIZ6IJmigQBeADM%252C_&usg=__bGYniKTJgKzn1dV8cAEt9VJU1ws%3D&ved=0CDoQyjdqFQoTCJmKqOvYlskCFQj6YwodUE0G3w&ei=57ZKVtn6Loj0jwPQmpn4DQ#imgrc=_&usg=__bGYniKTJgKzn1dV8cAEt9VJU1ws%3D

http://www.wilderutopia.com/traditions/myth/aboriginal-dreamtime-the-rainbow-serpent/

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/y/yara-ma-yha-who.html

Citings